And the Sun Rose Again
by DSTakeshi
Summary: It is a year after the ordeal with Edison Trent and the mysteries of the Nomads. Tensions in the Sirius Sector have flared up, and Jack Schwartz, a Liberty Navy pilot, is caught up in the biggest tragedy since the Hundred Years War. (FREELANCER)
1. The Rheinland Advance

This, in its own sense, is a Freelancer topic. Fanfic should make a Freelancer section, no?  
  
~~~ And the Sun rose again ~~~  
  
Chapter One: The Rheinland Advance  
  
The Sun's gleaming white glow protruded above the skyline of Leeds. I wearily opened my eyes. Six hours of darkness takes a toll on a man, I thought to myself. I, in turn, had just arrived the day before, and it would be a long time until my mind had tuned into the planet's rotation speed, it was sort of like major jet lag.  
  
Groaning, I lurched from my hard cot and slipped on my leather jacket. Activating the sub-monitor, I checked the current weather and temperature, as well as daily news. Nothing big was happening, a few Hacker attacks, five dead, that was normal for the Sirius sector. Pirate attacks were incredibly common now, since the ordeal with that Edison Trent character. Liberty claims that security has been beefed up, but the Rogues in that sector have gotten much more vicious, bringing more Wolfhounds and developing new fighters. Named the "Mako," or something down that alley, it is the ship they are using to brutally rip apart those transports. Aptly named, it was built for speed and deadliness, the transport leaders have very little time to react until they are torn to pieces. I have always wanted to buy one, but cash is short and I am part of the Liberty Navy, meaning that it is a big no-no to go anywhere NEAR Pirate ships (except to bombard them with laser fire). Tsk. . . Some job.  
  
I picked up the sub-monitor and headed for the hangar. Scheduled to depart for Norfolk Shipyard, I clicked up and checked the status of my Negotiator, a standard issue ship similar to the Patriot. Everything was A- OK, and I sent a signal for the mechanics to prep it for immediate departure. I was on assignment in the Bretonia system from Norfolk and was about due to return. I stopped by the local bar and grabbed a bottle of Feines Gebräu, a new Rheinland drink which roughly means "Fine Brew." Nevertheless, it tasted good, but people looked down on those who drank it simply because of Rheinland – Liberty tensions in politics. They always argue on who gets what new system, what should be done about pirates, et cetera.  
  
Rheinland, in the own sense, was being stunted economically and politically because of their attacks the year preceding. Liberty, Kusari, and Bretonia have pushed them back in every way possible to stop them from repeating their actions. No one is to trade with any Rheinland system, and all Jump Gates to their system network has been vaporized. The top Rheinland officials were infuriated and swore revenge by all means necessary. No one pays any attention to them at all  
  
I arrived at the Leeds hangar and gave them my card. In a few minutes my sleek Negotiator slid into view. It wasn't much, but it kept me alive. The pointed nose and double - tailed body reminded me of a Patriot / Hawk mix. I paid the valet officer and piled what food I could afford into the cargo bay and climbed in. Activating what systems I needed (in order to conserve fuel), my ship came to life and I guided her out of the dock and into the atmosphere.  
  
Perhaps that little job was necessary, but I guess I will never know. All the Liberty Navy assigned me to go along with is to investigate a small Outcast base that was being assembled in Cambridge. Not a very big threat, but it couldn't have been left to bloom into a real threat. It was just me, two wingmen, and a specially designed Defender equipped with a single Sunslayer. A single torpedo was all that was needed to down the small class Orillion station. Once the torpedo hit its mark, the other Outcasts turned their tails and fled like Hell on wheels, if one can call it that. I would be happy to get back to New York and rest for a little while and actually get some sleep! The major House planets (Manhattan, New Berlin, etc.) are really the only planets which have an orbit and rotation pattern very similar to Old Earth, so they say. I wonder what happened to those planets after the Hundred Years War. I guess I shall never know.  
  
The ship purred softly as I approached the newly assembled Jump Gate to the New York system. This was constructed approximately a year ago, after the Arizona Alliance, named after the battleship it was signed on. Basically Bretonia and Liberty are completely allied provinces now, and now and then one can see a Bretonia cruiser in Liberty space, and vice versa.  
  
I was about to jump to New York, the Gate loomed before me, when I received an urgent call over a secure channel. "---- To all Li—ty Navy and Mil-tary tro—s. This is Pl--- Manhattan, we are under atta-k! Send a—forces to Manhattan ASAP!" The message was garbled and full of static, obviously something was going on.  
  
At once the channel was bustling with activity. "Planet Manhattan, this is Battleship Phoenix. We are en route to Manhattan now. What is going on over there?"  
  
The response came back quickly. "It's an en---- fle-t! Battle—ps, cruise-s, we need supp—t, quickly! They're every-----, we cannot stop them! AAAAA--------" Silence echoed on the communicator. I did not know what to do.  
  
I radioed to the Phoenix, which was detected in the Leeds system. "Battleship Phoenix, this is Jack Schwartz, what is your position?"  
  
"We are almost on top of you, and will pick you up for transport to the battlefield shortly." The reply came. I immediately turned on all active scanners to find the Battleship. Sure enough, a Dreadnought loomed behind me.  
  
As I entered formation, the Phoenix radioed me again. "Something is horribly wrong. We are receiving reports that Kusari space has been attacked. The ships came out of nowhere and attacked without warning!"  
  
"Who do you suppose is doing thi-" I was cut short as my sensors went off the hook. Plasma and radiation readings were off the scale. I peered out of my cockpit's canopy and my eyes widened. A wave rippled away from somewhere to the left of the Jump Gate, and plasma sparked all around it. At once there was a glob of orange energy that quickly materialized and it seemed to split the very fabric of space itself! The orange sphere widened to about the size of a small asteroid until it stopped, plasma energy rippling around it. Suddenly a titanic battleship fleet cruised out of the tear.  
  
"What the hell is that?" Phoenix radioed us back.  
  
My hands shaking, I picked up the comm, "It's the Rheinland. They have come for their revenge."  
  
The mammoth battleship was unlike any Rheinland Capital Ship I had ever seen. The bow of the ship looked like an egg, except the very front of it was flattened off with some sort of opening on it. It was slightly pinched in the center with five huge thrusters in the back. It truly was a sight to behold, but the sight of it made one tremble with fear.  
  
The opening on the front of the Rheinland battleship opened slowly, revealing a clear dome of a glass-like material. The dome shimmered for a second, and then released an enormous plasma blast right at the Jump Gate, annihilating it. As the huge metal plates collapsed inward and our passageway was neutralized, it was clear that it was to stay and fight.  
  
I broke formation and spun away just as the ship opened fire on the Phoenix. I never heard from any of my fleet members again. The battleship was torn to pieces by the rapid fire from the numerous cannons, and its wingmen were shot down by the Valkyries that swooped in from the strange orange "rip." I activated my cruise engines to try and save myself, but another orange sphere opened up a passageway right in the way of the trade lane. Again, a Rheinland Capital Ship, this time a cruiser, which resembled its big brother. In full cruise mode I spun my ship around and tried to escape. Immediately I was under heavy fire from both ships.  
  
A photon blast ripped through my starboard wing as I sat furiously scanning for a possible escape route when I realized something. Why not take the same route that they came in on? I took odds of one hundred to one as I tore towards the gap in space. Narrowly missing many missiles and one torpedo, my ship broke the orange sphere and immediately I was plunged into a swirl of colors. It was some sort of inter-dimensional gateway that I had not seen before.  
  
In a matter of seconds I was spit out in another part of space, but this was a part I had seen before.  
  
It was one hundred thousand kilometers, sector 3E of the New Berlin system. From here my adventure began.  
  
~~~ Next Chapter: A Closely Guarded Secret 


	2. A Closely Guarded Secret

Computer died, took a while to make chapter two!  
  
~~~ And the Sun rose again ~~~  
  
Chapter Two: A Closely Guarded Secret  
  
The onboard CPU hummed silently as only a dim light seeped into the cockpit. I looked around and deactivated my active scanner, keeping the passive operational. I peered deep into space, trying to pinpoint my position. I was about one hundred thousand kilometers from New Berlin, but the planet was in full view. The ship's computer spoke in a garbled language, revealing to me that the ship's hull was torn to pieces. Fuel spilled out into space, and a tangled mass of metal and wires was all that was left of my starboard wing. Groaning, I sat back in my chair, pondering on what I was to do next.  
  
A garbled voice broke over my com channel. "This is RSC Spielbanken. We have picked you up on our scanners as a hostile. Deactivate all engines and power down your weapons. Prepare to be boarded." An old Train was making its way through space towards me. I would have loved to completely tear it apart, but my generator was shot, and there was nothing I could do. The Train fed a thick entrance passageway to my ship, and two burly men smashed open the cockpit door. I didn't even bother to reach for my gun, and was soon hauled into the ship.  
  
It was very old and outdated. Rusting here, ruptured pipes there, the works. I was led down the dank halls to an old iron cell and thrown against the metal wall.  
  
The two men laughed at me. "You should watch where you are flying, Freiheitbastard." They must have thought I was on an undercover mission. "We can smell a Navy pilot a mile away!"  
  
"Must have taken you a while, Dicker Mann." I laughed, and the hairy one spat at me. With that, he slammed the cage shut and stormed off, hotly pursued by his comrade. I leaned back in the cell and tried to think of a way out of my prison. This holding cell was obviously quickly constructed as a way of holding petty criminals, but I had studied these on West Point. I would remember how to escape shortly, but first, I had to see if I could contact any other Liberty pilots.  
  
After hearing their voices trail off, I opened my communicator on my timepiece and tried to radio my brethren. I tuned it to a private channel and called out into space. "This is Schwartz to any Liberty personnel, do you copy, over?" I waited patiently, but no one responded. I repeated. Still no response. Moving over to the restricting bars, I began to study them. Easy joint-lock configuration, all it needed was some leverage. I fumbled in my jacket for a wrench that I normally kept for around-the-ship means and picked it out. Jamming it between the rivets that held the rusty cot to the wall, I "wrenched" it out. The corroded rivet popped out, and I immediately repeated with the other one. The heavy bed landed with a nice, juicy clang. Hesitating, I waited for my captors to burst in and shoot me on sight. Thankfully, the circular door at the end of the hallway remained closed.  
  
My dark hair was matted to my forehead with sweat and I positioned the frame against the iron bars. I jerked downward on the other side and one of the bars snapped completely in half! I was amazed how an old ship like this would still be working for the Rheinland Shipping Company.  
  
Slipping through the gap in the bars, I proceeded to make my way down the hallway. I peered through the small window in the oval door and looked around. No cameras to be seen, maybe a few spotlights, but that was it. The guards were off doing something else. I silently walked down the passageways until I heard chatter and ruckus coming through the crew's cabin. It seemed the guards were having a bit of "fun" with themselves. I glanced through the window, and sure enough, the two burly men were sitting adjacent to each other with their backs towards me. They were loudly laughing, and I noticed several bottles of Sidewinder Fang next to their legs. Drunk.  
  
I had to get out of this place, and to get out was through them. The pilot was off in the bridge so I had to act now. I searched around for something to use and somehow found a silenced pistol along with a small canister of carbon monoxide gas, used as propellant for a few old-age infantry rail guns. I wandered back over to the quarters and sure enough, both men were still out of it, drinking alcohol and playing cards. I raised my pistol and shot a bullet clean through the glass. It was such a fine blow that little excess material fell, and even if more did, it was like they had enough mental power left to pay attention. I chipped open the nozzle of the monoxide gas with my wrench and slowly hammered it into the tiny hole. All that was left was to wait. In five minutes, the laughter had stopped. Two bodies lay slumped over one another. The deed was done, now to take this rig and get back to where I came from, and to find out what the hell the Rheinlanders were up to.  
  
I sneaked to the back of the Train where the cargo containers were, searching for something of use for when I would attack the two pilots. The heavy steel door creaked open and I fumbled for the light switch, which I found, and clicked on. One by one the overhead floodlights flickered on, and my jaw dropped. There were three enormous objects, brilliantly constructed and shimmering in the bright glow of the lights. These were sleek silvery objects, jagged at one end, and large cylinder shaped connectors at the other. It was truly a sight to behold. I strolled around it, marveling at its beauty, when I turned to the other side of the contraption and saw it. The emblem that was swathed across the brilliant silver metal was one that I had not known of before. It was different. Almost alien. There was a gnarled wooden staff curled around a burning star, its rays shot out across the entire emblem. I was stunned. Had Rheinland been receiving help from another source?  
  
The strange object was cold to the touch, and I pressed my palm to the alien alloy. It suddenly became very warm and I could feel a buzz inside the object. I ran my hand across the side until my fingertips bumped against a small latch. I poked the hatch and it slid open. A few controls were visible, blinking silently in the light. There was a small piece of golden text underneath a metal switch. It seemed to be a registration code of some sort.  
  
X-J89 Mk I Flood Jump Generator  
  
I was bemused. I had never heard of a Flood Generator before, and why were they being carried in a Rheinland Train? I shook my head, of course! This is what the Rheinland was using in those new battlecruisers they had deployed to attack the other Houses. Stepping back, I thought for a moment. If I could take over this Train, I would be able to learn more about this new operation, and who they were getting these Generators from. The tiny hatch slid shut and the machine burped and sputtered for a moment, then died. The pistol I held in my hands suddenly grew very warm, and I silently walked out of the cargo bay.  
  
The bridge was just ahead, and I cocked the hammer of my weapon and leaned to the side of the metal door. The ship hummed under my feet. Sweat trickled down my right temple. Funny how I remember it so clearly. The door quickly opened. The barrel to the back of his head. The shot. The blood covering the cockpit. The job was done, and I disposed of the body via the airlock. I did the same with the two fat men in the cabin. Each one I vaporized with a single turret blast. Gruesome work, but it was for my own good.  
  
The controls were still warm as I wrapped my hands around the controls. Checking the NavMap, I slowly gunned the engines. Putting on the strange headset communicator, I unbuttoned my collar and took off my Liberty leather jacket. If I was to get into the installation that lay ahead of me, the jacket would put me in danger.  
  
I did not know what I was getting myself into. If I knew what would have happened, yeah, I probably would have done the same exact thing.  
  
~~~ Next Chapter: Nova 


End file.
